The Lily's Corrosion
by liyenthel
Summary: Spoilers to DH. Trelawney tells a prophecy of the Half Blood prince. She speaks of another who will interrupt between two people and the slow deterioration of an unreturned love. [SnapeLily][JamesLily]
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. I doubt that anyone here would claim that they are theirs.

Dedication: This story is dedicated to awin-chan. She bugged me for it but it's all in fair exchange.

x x x

Prologue

With a relieved sigh from the entire class, the bell signalled the lunch break. This divination class had been about tea leaves. _What could anyone possibly see in tea leaves?_ Severus thought, _it was simply illogical. Who in their right mind would see pictures in leaves?_ He scowled at the tea leaves who wouldn't reveal their secrets to him. He hated divination but it was a compulsory class. Now potions? He was good at potions. He appreciated the delicate art that was required to do potions.

Severus glanced at Lily Evans who was already leaving the room with her friends. She tossed her dark red hair as she turned to face one of her friends who had commented on the clips she had placed on her bangs. They were those new clips that had pictures that moved and hers were merpeople. Frankly Severus wanted to say to her that she looked beautiful even without those but he could never have the courage.

He began to pack up his books, shoving them into a sling bag which he put on his shoulder. He adjusted his tie and heard Avery call his name.

'I'm coming! I'm coming! Just hold on a sec,' said Snape hastily as he pulled his shirt taut against his body. He ran a hand through his greasy dark hair and tried to make it stay flat.

He was almost out the door when Professor Trelawney gasped.

'P-Professor?' Severus asked with one hand on the door that was half opened, 'Professor Trelawney? Are you alright?'

The door shut behind him and it seemed like the room was much colder and darker. The scant light filtering through the heavily-curtained windows seemed a little more blood red. A chill ran down his spine as he saw Trelawney staring into a teacup. Her eyes had widened and frankly that heightened by the effect of her large glasses was quite frightening.

'Um…professor? It's Severus Snape. From the Slytherin house? Professor, are you all right? Would you like me to call Professor Dumbledore?'

A second gasp from Trelawney made Snape jump back. He held up his bag in futile defence. He peeked from the side of the bed to see if Trelawney would attack. But he saw that Trelawney was beginning to stutter something out.

'Severus Snape? Is this your cup?'

Severus glanced at the place he had been sitting. The cup opposite of his seat was missing. Avery had left his book lying open there.

'Yes I think so. That one should be the one I drank from.'

'Oh dear boy. Deary deary me. Something bad is going to happen.'

'… To me?' Snape questioned. _But what could possibly happen to me? _He thought.

'Oh yes. It will begin with a book. Then a potion that will reveal all secrets. A wand battle that will find courage. At one point the lake will make a promise. Then a ball. Then a broomstick that will show bravery. And then finally a word. A single word that will ruin everything!'

'Everything what?' Snape questioned curiously, 'Professor?'

'Love dear boy! Your love!'

Snape gave an irked look to the Professor. 'Um… I don't … have a love.' But as he said this he was blushing.

'You do indeed have a love. And it is true love don't doubt me! But it will end in despair. You will lose her.'

Snape straightened up and pulled his robes back into place.

'Professor, class is over and you've no right to dishearten me.'

He grabbed the teacup in Trelawney's hand and before Trelawney's eyes. He let go. His eyes never left Trelawney's face and hers followed the descent of the cup, which shattered on the floor. The pieces of the cup were thrown everywhere and the tea leaves landed in a damp mass.

Snape picked up the bag he had discarded on the floor and he turned on his heel, walking towards the door. Trelawney watched the retreating back of the Slytherin boy. She blinked and saw that the boy had hesitated at the door with one hand on the handle. He turned his head slightly, not fully pivoting around.

'I'm sorry about the cup professor,' he said in a low, raspy voice and he pulled open the door letting in the afternoon light.

Trelawney could hear the retreating voice of Severus calling out to his friend. She looked at the mass of damp tea leaves and sighed, shaking her head. She took her wand out and gave it a wave. The tea leaves picked themselves up and fell into a garbage can and the cup repaired itself, floating into Trelawney's waiting hands. She turned around heading towards a cupboard.

'That boy is going to have his heart shattered…'

x x x

Reviews be they concrit, crit or flames are all welcome. I'm sorry if it's a little bit abrupt. Also, I may be editing the prologue over and over because of the way the story's going to go.

-liyenthel


	2. Needs and Wants

To Dudly: I'm sorry for my mistakes.  
To everyone else: Just as sorry. XD  
To awin-chan? Please don't eat me D

Chapter 1: Needs and Wants

Severus Snape was a whirl of black, green and silver as he proceeded down the spiral staircase to the common room. Just the day before Professor Trelawney had given a prophecy albeit it wasn't a true prophecy but rather it was more of a reading. And it bugged him. As it had bugged him all of last night.

Tossing and turning in the night he kept muttering to himself the words the Trelawney had spoken. Avery and MacNair had gotten up several times in the night and kept hitting him with pillows telling him to stop muttering and go to sleep. Soon after midnight however, the two boys had fallen into a deeper sleep and were unconcerned with Snape's consistent speaking.

Everything had gotten quiet but Severus lay in bed, running over the thoughts in his head. Trelawney had said that he would lose his love due to a word. Did she mean Lily? Certainly she was his love interest but not true love surely… And a word? What word was it? What single word could possibly forever ruin his and Lily's relationship? And there was another. But who was it? Was it one of the other Slytherins? A Ravenclaw perhaps? Or could it be that somebody from Gryffindor would interrupt them?

Throughout the night he was repeatedly awakened by these persisting thoughts. This morning he had gotten up tired with black spots under his eyes. He had decided that he would tell Lily about the prophecy and he would tell her that he loved her, truly and sincerely.

Snape looked around for his potions book. He had written down the entire prophecy during the following potions class. He found it lying on the table beside one of the common room's black leather couches. Severus scanned the room for his bag but he couldn't find it. He couldn't walk in with the potions book with the name 'Half Blood Prince' written on it. That would be absurd. He tucked it into his robe in haste. He would miss breakfast and Lily if he didn't hurry. Snape proceeded to the great hall in haste.

The door to the Great Hall was open and the smell of eggs, toast, ham, syrup, pancakes and waffles wafted towards him. He adjusted his hold on the book and went in.

x x x

'Oi, James, do you know what Snivellus is up to?'

James slowly turned towards Sirius with a piece of toast in his mouth. His eyes darted towards the hunched figure of Severus at the doors to the Hall. Watching Severus as he slowly took the piece of toast out of his mouth, a grin appeared on his face. He set the toast down on the plate and pondered the actions of poor little Slytherin Snivellus. Severus seemed a little more edgy than usual.

'No. But don't you think it's a little weird how he seems to have a hand inside his cloak all the time?'

'It is weird. Look he's coming this way,' whispered Sirius and then he turned and stood up shouting across the hall, 'Oi, Snivellus! Isn't the Slytherin table _that_ way?' He further reinforced his point by pointing towards the Slytherin table with an accusing finger.

Severus' face was flushed with an onslaught of red and he stopped midway in his step. He almost fell over from the abrupt stop. He regained his footing and shuffled his feet.

'Oh yes… um…. I just wanted to talk to Lily for a sec.'

Sirius raised an eyebrow and gave a mocking smile. And he said in a pompous, loud voice, 'Oh you want to talk to _Lily_ do you? Well I'm afraid that's not possible. _Slytherins_ don't have the right to talk to _Gryffindors_.'

Snape began to stutter something when a whirl of brown hair stopped him. _Lily_, he thought. But Lily wasn't looking at him; she was storming towards Sirius who was laughing with James. And then the whole hall fell silent. Lily had just slapped Sirius. Her robes were still trying to follow her actions and her fierce, green eyes glared at Sirius with hate.

'Don't,' she said, interrupting Sirius's sputter of anger, 'You shouldn't be so rude to Sev. Now apologize and shut up.'

Sirius stared with shock at Lily. _How dare she!_ He thought, _I am never I repeat _never_ going to apologize to a _Slytherin. His hand held his now swollen and red cheek.

'Go on!' Lily demanded of James, 'Apologize!'

But Sirius spoke instead of James, 'Never.'

Lily turned around and stalked towards Severus and grabbed his hand. Snape was taken aback by her behaviour. Lily was practically dragging him out of the Hall. His hand came out of his cloak trying to balance him. The potions book which was in his hand until then fell upon the floor. The pages flipped open until it reached a page where Snape had drawn a picture of a half a pint of blood with a little crown on it. The entire marauder group burst into laughter as Lily dragged Snape out of the hall.

'Let's go Sev. No need for us to stay here.'

Snape stumbled after Lily. When they reached outside Lily turned on him and placed her hands on her hips. She regarded Severus questioningly.

'Sevy, what were you thinking? Going to the Gryffindor's table?'

'I…just wanted to talk to you.'

'You could have done that during class.'

'And…' Severus paused in his thought, 'Never mind.'

'Never mind what Sev?'

'Just never mind.'

Snape looked very forlorn. He hung his head in a perfect picture of sadness. His robes hung loosely on his frame and he began to walk away from Lily when she caught the sleeve of his robe.

'Severus…' she whispered in a low voice. Her eyes didn't meet his when he turned his head to look at her. She had a slight blush on her face and her hand was limp on his sleeve, 'Why did you come to the Gryffindor table?'

'That was…a mistake. And why did you slap Sirius Lily? It was very rude of you.'

'Hey don't insult me. I was only defending your honour. I could have left you there but that would have made me seem like a coward too, especially since Black went and shouted and everybody in the hall heard. Otherwise, I would have dealt with them later.'

'My _honour_? You were defending my _honour_? How do you keep kidding yourself Lily? You weren't defending my honour. You just said it. You're only making sure _your_ pride wasn't hurt.'

'Severus! How could you say something like that? And right after I saved your hide too!'

'I didn't need saving Lily. I told you. I was going to be perfectly fine even if you hadn't done anything. I don't want your help Lily!'

As Severus said this he tore his sleeve away from Lily and stalked off towards the dungeons. As soon as he turned the corner he pressed himself against the wall. His breath became ragged and shallow. If you listened closely you could hear sobs coming from his frail body. He tilted his head back against the cold, stone walls. Tears were falling from his eyes in a steady stream. He could hear the bell tolling for the beginning of the first class. He ducked his head as the rest of the students passed him going to their classes or returning to their dorms to retrieve their books.

_Lily_, he thought, _Lily, dear, sweet Lily. I'm sorry I said that to you. I'm so sorry. _As he thought this, he used the inside hem of his sleeve to wipe away the tears. _It's happening. The prophecy is happening. But how? I can think about that later. I have to apologize._

x x x

Severus had left Lily standing in the middle of the hallway as the students began to come out of the Hall. Her hand was still outstretched as he turned the corner. The people around her seemed insignificant after what Severus had just done. They just walked around her, laughing and joking, in happy spirits. She slowly closed her hand and brought it back towards her. She held it close to her heart. Her other hand closed over the fist and she bent over. Her dark red hair began to fall in front of her face. It seemed like a pocket of silence filled the area around Lily. Slowly she crouched in the center of that silence. Her legs folded and her arms came to rest on top of them. Her face was hidden by her arms and her tears began to stain her crimson red tie.

x x x

'Lily I-'Severus began as he rounded the corner but he paused in mid-sentence at the sight before him. And he whispered, '-still need you.'

He placed his hand on the cold, marble wall, sagging against it. And he slowly slid down the side of the wall.

x x x

The sounds of hollow steps reached her ears in that bubble of silence. She slowly looked up and saw a hand. She could not see the person's face because he was standing with his back to the light. A glint of light came off of the glasses of the silhouette. She delicately placed her hand in his and he pulled her up. When she reached level ground with hazel eyes she could see messy, black hair that framed a delicate face. With his one hand he pulled her into a soft embrace, the other went around the small of her back. She tilted her head to the side and rested her head on his shoulder.

'James,' she whispered in a low voice.

Concrit and flames are equally welcome. And to answer questions now? Yes. Sevy. o-o

liyenthel


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